For years, the medical community considered women to be at lower risk for heart disease. Now doctors know post-menopausal women are at just as great a risk as men.

Dr. Carla Kingsley of the St. Peter’s Hospital Cardiology Clinic will give a talk on women and heart disease at the hospital’s For Women Only health fair Monday at the Helena Civic Center.

Kingsley will be among three St. Peter’s doctors giving talks at the event. Family physician Dr. Jennifer Dodge will speak on breast cancer detection and treatment, and family physician Dr. Cheryl Cavalli will present a talk called Surviving Menopause.

According to Kingsley, women are protected from heart attack risk by the estrogen their bodies produce, which has a number of positive effects, including raising good cholesterol and lowering blood pressure.

However, after menopause, that protection is lost. Post-menopausal women tend to have lower levels of good cholesterol, higher overall cholesterol and higher blood pressure.

Kingsley’s talk will focus on a number of facts about heart disease, including its prevalence, symptoms, risk factors and ways to reduce risk factors.

She said the main ways to reduce heart attack risk are exercising, losing weight, not smoking, watching your diet and treating diabetes if diabetic.

“I would recommend any woman who’s concerned about heart health to come,” Kingsley said. “It’s primarily an effort to make women aware.”

Following the talks, Kingsley, Cavalli and Dodge will answer audience questions in a panel discussion.

The talks will be held in the Civic Center ballroom, beginning at 6 p.m.

The health fair, with more than 50 education and demonstration booths, begins at 7 p.m. in the Civic Center ballroom.

Free screenings will be available for blood pressure, flexibility testing and body mass index measurements.

There will also be flu shots available for $25, bone density screenings for $25, thyroid tests for $20, and colon cancer screening for $5.

There will be a demonstrations on tango and Nia dance, fitness demonstrations from Curves and Broadwater Athletic Club, a fashion show, a “Shoes that Shine” contest and a drawing for a Big Sky vacation for two.

Participants can also enjoy free head, hand and chair massages.

No reservation is required and admission is free.